I Lalai i Bilembaotuyan is the loving story of a young girl, Lalai, and her grandfather, Tåtan Bihu. Tåtan Bihu is one of the few remaining people that knows how to play the bilembaotuyan, a unique CHamoru instrument that makes a beautiful sound. Through his teachings, Lalai learns about patience, hard work, and overcoming the challenges of learning how to play a new instrument. When tragedy strikes and Tåtan Bihu passes away, Lalai uses the the bilembaotuyan to share her grandfather’s life-long lessons with those around her, showing them that music is played with the heart and given with love from one generation to the next.

I Lalai i Bilembaotuyan By Catherine Payne and John Payne II

CHamoru Legends: A Gathering of Stories retells 12 CHamoru legends and includes personal reflections from author Teresita Lourdes Perez, unique illustrations for each legend by Guam artists, and versions of the legends in the CHamoru language by Maria Ana Tenorio Rivera. The publication is a reversible book featuring the legends in English on one side and in CHamoru on the other. Through these multiple layers of interpretation, the book weaves together strips of wisdom and cultural lessons like the leaves used to shape the CHamoru guåfak, or mat, upon which the earliest CHamoru storytellers sat sharing their versions of these timeless tales.

2019 Independent Publisher Book Awards Bronze Medal recipient for Best Regional Non-Fiction for Australia/New Zealand/Pacific Rim.

Audiobook read by Teresita Lourdes Perez. 
Purchase “CHamoru Legends: A Gathering of Stories” at uogpress.com.

CHamoru Legends: A Gathering of Stories by Teresita Perez

Guaiyayon na Trongkon Mansanita (The Loveable Mansanita Tree) highlights the special bond shared between three young sisters, who found sanctuary and adventure under the canopy of their loveable mansanita tree. Set in 1950s Guam, this book captures a time when children discovered joy in nature and in each other.

Audiobook read by Dolores Indalecio Camacho.
Purchase “Guaiyayon I Trongkon Mansanita” at uogpress.com

Guaiyayon I Trongkon Mansanita (The Loveable Mansanita Tree) by Dolores Camacho

I Malingu na Påtgon (The Lost Child) tells the story of a young girl named Bella, who feels like she has been forgotten by her large and very busy family. She finds friendship and love in her garden. Through captivating illustrations, I Malingu na Påtgon depicts key CHamoru values, particularly the importance of family and working together.

Audiobook read by Rufina Fejeren Mendiola.
Purchase “I Malingu Na Påtgon” at uogpress.com.

I Malingu Na Påtgon (The Lost Child) by Rufina Mendiola

CHamoru Legends: A Gathering of Stories retells 12 CHamoru legends and includes personal reflections from author Teresita Lourdes Perez, unique illustrations for each legend by Guam artists, and versions of the legends in the CHamoru language by Maria Ana Tenorio Rivera. The publication is a reversible book featuring the legends in English on one side and in CHamoru on the other. Through these multiple layers of interpretation, the book weaves together strips of wisdom and cultural lessons like the leaves used to shape the CHamoru guåfak, or mat, upon which the earliest CHamoru storytellers sat sharing their versions of these timeless tales.

2019 Independent Publisher Book Awards Bronze Medal recipient for Best Regional Non-Fiction for Australia/New Zealand/Pacific Rim.

Audiobook read by Maria Ana T. Rivera.
Purchase “CHamoru Legends: A Gathering of Stories” at uogpress.com.

Lihenden CHamoru: Rinikohen Hemplo Siha Translated by Maria Ana T. Rivera

Ma Guaiya Yu’, si Nåna yan si Tåta (Grandma and Grandpa Love Me) by Simone and Dana Bollinger is a vibrant picture book featuring lovely watercolor illustrations that depict the many ways grandparents show their love to their grandchildren. From holding hands in church to going on hikes in the jungle, this story describes the important role grandparents play in the lives of i famagu’on-ta, our children.

Audiobook read by Simone Bollinger. 
Purchase “Ma Guaiua Yu’, si Nåna yan si Tåta” at uogpress.com.

Ma Guaiya Yu’, si Nåna yan si Tåta by Simone and Dana Bollinger

Mariquita, first published in 1982, has become the most widely read novel about the CHamoru experience during World War II on Guam. In the book, author Chris Perez Howard chronicles his mother’s vibrant life before the War, her enduring strength during the Japanese occupation of the island, and her tragic death at the end of it. In this updated edition of the classic, Perez Howard revisits the story and adds more details, photos, and letters. It is a continuing tribute to his mother whose legacy lives on in the memories of all who read it.

Audiobook read by Chris Perez Howard and Rayanna Guzman.
Purchase “Mariquita— Revisited” at uogpress.com.

Mariquita–Revisited by Chris Perez Howard

Si Pedro yan i Hilét Oru na Ko’ko’ (Pedro and the Golden Ko’ko’) is an exciting tale of a young boy named Pedro from Malesso’, who is on a quest to capture the clever Golden Ko’ko’. The Golden Ko’ko’ only comes around every 100 years, and Pedro, determined to catch him, spends his days setting up traps along the Ko’ko’s path in southern Guam.

Audiobook read by Ursula Herrera.
Purchase “Si Pedro yan i Hilét Oru na Ko’ko’” at uogpress.com.

Si Pedro yan i Hilét Oru na Ko’ko’ (Pedro and the Golden Ko’ko’ by Lance Osborn)

The Properties of Perpetual Light is an homage to the work of the activist-writer, which author Julian Aguon describes as “the work of bearing witness, wrestling with the questions of one’s day, telling children the truth.” With prose and poetry both bracing and quiet, Aguon weaves together stories from his childhood in the villages of Guam with searing political commentary about everything from nuclear weapons to climate change. Throughout the book, Aguon grapples with one heart-breaking loss after another by immersing himself in the beauty of his island, the magic of Micronesia, and the wisdom of his favorite books and elders. Deploying the feminist insight that the personal is political, The Properties of Perpetual Light illuminates a path for others to confront injustice, to find their way, and to “write as if everything they love is on the line.”

Audiobook read by Julian Aguon.
Purchase “The Properties of Perpetual Light” at uogpress.com.

The Properties of Perpetual Light by Julian Aguon

Naina Rao sits down with Arielle Taitano Lowe, poet and author of "Ocean Mother" to talk about her debut collection of poetry that explores identity, trauma, culture, joy, dancing, and her journey and return home.

Visit uogpress.com to purchase "Ocean Mother" for $15. 

This is the full, uncut version of "Ocean Mother: A journey of identity and expression through poetry" available on Isla Public Radio. 

https://www.islapublic.org/news/2024-03-04/ocean-mother-a-journey-of-identity-and-expression-through-poetry

"My Orality Will Not Be Canonized": An Interview with Arielle Lowe and Naina Rao

Elizabeth Rutun, Editor of "Storyboard: A Journal of Pacific Imagery," sits down with fantasy writer Michael Castro and collage artist Tonya McDaniel to talk about the 21st issue of "Stroyboard" and what we consider "Unfit." 

Learn more about Storyboard and view the full Call and submission guidelines at uog.edu/uogpress/storyboard-journal/. 

Visit uogpress.com to purchase a physical copy of "Storyboard" and read free digital copies at uogguafak.omeka.net/collections/show/35. 

For more local arts and literature, visit uogpress.com.

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